Databases have become the subject of significant recent interest, not only because of the increasing volume of data being stored and retrieved by computerized databases, but also by virtue of the data relationships which can be established during the storage and retrieval processes. Most of the interest in databases has concerned user demands for an improved ergonomic interface.
One aspect of improved ergonomics is the ability to convey information from a database in a meaningful way to a user. An early attempt at this type of processing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,326 to Shaw et al, entitled, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SYNTHESIZING A QUERY FOR ACCESSING A RELATIONAL DATABASE. The patent disclosed a method and apparatus for preparing a linear query to access a relational database and obtain information for display to a user in a linear, sequential report of alphanumeric information.
Structured Query Language (SQL), and in particular ANSI SQL, has become a preferred language media for communicating queries to relational databases. As a consequence, there presently exist thousands of relational databases and thousands of related queries directed to such databases. Given an investment in such databases and queries, migration is not only a desirable feature, but a substantially necessary capability for new relational database systems and methods.
With the growing prevalence of relational databases, communication networks and workstations, the training and experience of a representative system user has decreased in relation to the resources available. The dilemma created by these various events is threefold. First, there exists an established and valuable base of queries formulated with classical SQL expressions. Second, there is a growing usage of relational databases and networks accessing their information. The end users of such databases are routinely less proficient in the very tools needed to efficiently and accurately access the relational database information. Finally, users of database access methods do not receive direct feedback of changes based on their manipulation of the database. Thus, a distinct need exists for methods, systems and programs which convert query statements into visual representations understandable by novice database users, and, in the compliment, which convert graphically or visually represented queries into SQL format statements usable in existing databases and network environments.
An example of a dynamic, graphical display for a knowledge base application is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,889 to Neuron Data. The patent discloses a graphical tree structure depiction of a knowledge base that is updated after changes are made to the database via user line commands. None of the prior art references disclose or suggest a graphic Interface for directly manipulating a database and reflecting the changes in a dynamic manner.